The Collectors Club of approximately 70 like-minded members was formed in 1996 by the late John Stringer. John was an internationally recognised art curator who came toWestern Australia after a distinguished career in Victoria at the National Gallery andNew York at the MOMA. He was initially Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of WA then curator of the Kerry Stokes Collection until his death in 2007.

John Stringer established The Collectors Club as a means of promoting the visual arts in WA through a club based on informed collecting. He was passionate about contemporary art and wanted others to share his enthusiasm and his knowledge by supporting Australian artists – and particularly Western Australian artists – by collecting.

The Collectors Club was founded and its success has been amazing when measured by the amount of art purchased, the support for emerging artists, the number of tours interstate and overseas and the enthusiastic promotion of art generally has more than justified John’s vision.

The Collectors Club encourages an active membership participating in such activities as gallery previews with the artists available for discussion, visits to artists studios, invitations to attend functions where visiting artists speak, visits to members’ homes to view and discuss their collected art and tours to art festivals in Australia and overseas.

There is a responsibility on each member to attend these activities whenever possible and to purchase at least one piece of art per year. The art is hung at the Annual Show and Tell Exhibition where each member speaks briefly about their purchase.

In 2010, The Collectors Club decided to sponsor an award to support an outstandingWestern Australian contemporary visual artist. The John Stringer Prize pays tribute to the legacy of the late John Stringer and through his name promotes his vision for the visual arts in Western Australia.

The prestigious John Stringer Prize, created in 2015 in honour of the late John Stringer(1937–2007), commissions six contemporary Western Australian artists to create new work from which a winning artist, selected by the Collectors Club will receive $12,500.This year the prize takes on more significance as it enables the support of the arts community during these unprecedented and uncertain times.

Donations to the John Stringer Prize via the Australian Cultural Fund are 100% tax deductible.

Artist Jacky Cheng was the winner of the John Stringer Prize 2022 for installation artwork …that awaits at the end of life, a series of woven textiles combining  papers and fibres that map esoteric and social relationships of their origins and newfound home.

Entry to the John Stringer Prize is by invitation only and in 2023 finalists are Angelina Boona Karadada, Ilona McGuire, Andrew Nicholls, Amy Perejuan-Capone, Stuart Scambler and Corban Clause Williams.

The selection process involves each panel member devising a shortlist of eligible artists, with the panel then conferring to choose six artists whom they jointly agree have upheld rigorous practices worthy of the prize. In making a selection, panelists are expected to place emphasis on the need to encourage practitioners who, in their opinion, are deserving of greater recognition.

John Stringer was the Curator of The Stokes Collection and adviser to the Collectors Club. The Prize honours John’s life and the legacy of his contribution to local visual arts and culture. In keeping with John’s passionate devotion to the arts, and his wish to see greater patronage of local talent, the Prize is intended to encourage and support Western Australian artists. Through the involvement of the Collectors Club of Western Australia, the Prize connects locally based artists with collectors, thus contributing to the vibrancy and economic viability of the Western Australian art market.

This year the prize takes on more significance as it enables the support of the arts community during these unprecedented and uncertain times.

A new or recent artwork by each of the six finalist artists will be showcased at John Curtin Gallery at Curtin University. During the exhibition, the winner of the Prize will be determined by a secret ballot performed by the Collectors Club members and announced at an Award Night.